The New South Wales banana growing community is struggling to meet the demand in the Australian market after Cyclone Larry wiped out the Queensland crop.

Competition to find enough bananas is heating up in New South Wales as prices continue to hover well over A$100 a carton. Before cyclone Larry wiped out the north Queensland crop, growers in New South Wales were receiving under A$10 a carton.

One grower in Coffs Harbour told local press that growers are receiving constant phone calls from agents looking for more fruit and one has even bought a local plantation to ensure supply. "I heard a story come out of the marketplace, I won't mention any names, but a guy really wanted this person's bananas and the agent went and bought the farm for three times what the value of the farm was, just so he could get the fruit off that farm and now the farmer works for this agent and just still grows bananas," he said.